Chaka Khan Pulled Out of “Inappropriate” Whitney Tribute

The legendary Chaka Khan pulled out of honoring her close friend and former background singer, Whitney Houston, during the Grammy Awards as originally planned.

After Houston’s unexpected death yesterday afternoon in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Grammy producers immediately reached out to Jennifer Hudson and Chaka to perform a tribute to Houston. Though she initially agreed, after careful consideration Khan issued the following statement via Twitter:

“As I grieve the loss of my friend and ‘little sister,’ I don’t feel it appropriate to perform at this time. Continue to pray for the family.”

The show went on as Jennifer Hudson performed her rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” Those with access to rehearsals say that the singer, who received her Grammy from Houston and is a life-long fan, struggled through tears and emotions as she was preparing to sing the song that Houston made a classic in the 1992 classic, “The Bodyguard.” Check out her tribute here.